Charlie was super concerned about Payton’s moon boot and refused to leave her side when I set her up on the couch in front of the TV before microwaving some popcorn. I’d decided on a movie marathon and takeaway for dinner when Sax came home from school so we could rest and recover from yesterday’s ordeal. We started with Bend It Like Beckham and I couldn’t believe we’d never thought to show it to her before. She liked the main characters well enough but found the idea of arranged marriages horrifying.

‘Does that still happen?’ she asked, as if the movie was set in some long-forgotten era, not less than twenty years ago.

‘In some cultures, yes,’ I said, not adding that quite often these ‘arranged’ marriages were just as successful if not more so than the ones people chose themselves—not that I’d have ever trusted my parents to make such a choice for me. Sure, I might not have made the best match myself, but perhaps Adrian was right for me at that stage of my life. Maybe I was even right for him.

‘That sucks,’ Payton said.

I nodded. ‘But we’ve come a long way since this movie was made. I’d like to think people aren’t as racist and we’re working hard for gender equality, but we can’t forget where we’ve come from. These girls had lots more hurdles to jump through to try and play professional soccer than you and your friends do.’

It never hurt for kids to be reminded how lucky they were.

‘If you or Dad tried to make me stop playing soccer like Jules’ mum, I’d …’ Her voice rose but I cut her off before she could finish.

‘We wouldn’t,’ I said, immediately thinking of the few seconds last night when I’d contemplated moving us all to Ragged Point.

‘Good.’

Payton’s attention returned to the screen, but my mind stayed firmly wedged in the Point, along with my car, my clothes and my Thermomix. When on earth was I going to get them all back?

I was pondering this issue when the doorbell rang. Charlie looked torn between coming to investigate and staying to watch over Payton. In the end, his curiosity won out and he bounded ahead of me down the hallway.

It took a moment for me to collect my thoughts when I opened the door to Jedda balancing Bindi on her hip. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘And it’s lovely to see you too,’ she replied as Charlie launched himself excitedly at both of them.

I looked past her to see my wagon in the driveway.

‘You drove my car down?’

She nodded as Bindi squirmed to be let down. ‘And most of your stuff. You had quite a lot of it, but I couldn’t fit anything else in due to this one’s car seat.’

‘Mum! Who is it?’